Arabian Nights

by abc

  that it will require some time to induce me to take the step

  which your Majesty desires."

  This answer greatly distressed the king, who was sincerely grieved

  by his objection to marriage. However he would not have recourse

  to extreme measures, so he said: "I do not wish to force you;

  I will give you time to reflect, but remember that such a step

  is necessary, for a prince such as you who will some day be called

  to rule over a great kingdom."

  From this time Prince Camaralzaman was admitted to the royal council,

  and the king showed him every mark of favour.

  At the end of a year the king took his son aside, and said:

  "Well, my son, have you changed your mind on the subject of marriage,

  or do you still refuse to obey my wish?"

  The prince was less surprised but no less firm than on the

  former occasion, and begged his father not to press the subject,

  adding that it was quite useless to urge him any longer.

  This answer much distressed the king, who again confided his trouble

  to his vizir.

  "I have followed your advice," he said; "but Camaralzaman declines

  to marry, and is more obstinate than ever."

  "Sire," replied the vizir, "much is gained by patience, and your

  Majesty might regret any violence. Why not wait another year and then

  inform the Prince in the midst of the assembled council that the good

  of the state demands his marriage? He cannot possibly refuse again

  before so distinguished an assemblage, and in our immediate presence."

  The Sultan ardently desired to see his son married at once, but he

  yielded to the vizir's arguments and decided to wait. He then visited

  the prince's mother, and after telling her of his disappointment

  and of the further respite he had given his son, he added:

  "I know that Camaralzaman confides more in you than he does in me.

  Pray speak very seriously to him on this subject, and make him realize

  that he will most seriously displease me if he remains obstinate,

  and that he will certainly regret the measures I shall be obliged

  to take to enforce my will."

  So the first time the Sultana Fatima saw her son she told him she

  had heard of his refusal to marry, adding how distressed she felt

  that he should have vexed his father so much. She asked what reasons

  he could have for his objections to obey.

  "Madam," replied the prince, "I make no doubt that there are as

  many good, virtuous, sweet, and amiable women as there are others

  very much the reverse. Would that all were like you! But what revolts

  me is the idea of marrying a woman without knowing anything at all

  about her. My father will ask the hand of the daughter of some

  neighbouring sovereign, who will give his consent to our union.

  Be she fair or frightful, clever or stupid, good or bad, I must

  marry her, and am left no choice in the matter. How am I to know

  that she will not be proud, passionate, contemptuous, and recklessly

  extravagant, or that her disposition will in any way suit mine?"

  "But, my son," urged Fatima, "you surely do not wish to be the last

  of a race which has reigned so long and so gloriously over this kingdom?"

  "Madam," said the prince, "I have no wish to survive the king,

  my father, but should I do so I will try to reign in such a manner

  as may be considered worthy of my predecessors."

  These and similar conversations proved to the Sultan how useless it

  was to argue with his son, and the year elapsed without bringing

  any change in the prince's ideas.

  At length a day came when the Sultan summoned him before the council,

  and there informed him that not only his own wishes but the good

  of the empire demanded his marriage, and desired him to give his

  answer before the assembled ministers.

  At this Camaralzaman grew so angry and spoke with so much heat

  that the king, naturally irritated at being opposed by his son

  in full council, ordered the prince to be arrested and locked up

  in an old tower, where he had nothing but a very little furniture,

  a few books, and a single slave to wait on him.

  Camaralzaman, pleased to be free to enjoy his books, showed himself

  very indifferent to his sentence.

  When night came he washed himself, performed his devotions,

  and, having read some pages of the Koran, lay down on a couch,

  without putting out the light near him, and was soon asleep.

  Now there was a deep well in the tower in which Prince

  Camaralzaman was imprisoned, and this well was a favourite

  resort of the fairy Maimoune, daughter of Damriat, chief of a

  legion of genii. Towards midnight Maimoune floated lightly

  up from the well, intending, according to her usual habit,

  to roam about the upper world as curiosity or accident might prompt.

  The light in the prince's room surprised her, and without disturbing

  the slave, who slept across the threshold, she entered the room,

  and approaching the bed was still more astonished to find it occupied.

  The prince lay with his face half hidden by the coverlet.

  Maimoune lifted it a little and beheld the most beautiful youth

  she had ever seen.

  "What a marvel of beauty he must be when his eyes are open!"

  she thought. "What can he have done to deserve to be treated

  like this?"

  She could not weary gazing at Camaralzaman, but at length,

  having softly kissed his brow and each cheek, she replaced

  the coverlet and resumed her flight through the air.

  As she entered the middle region she heard the sound of great wings

  coming towards her, and shortly met one of the race of bad genii.

  This genie, whose name was Danhasch, recognised Maimoune with terror,

  for he knew the supremacy which her goodness gave her over him.

  He would gladly have avoided her altogether, but they were so near

  that he must either be prepared to fight or yield to her, so he at once

  addressed her in a conciliatory tone:

  "Good Maimoune, swear to me by Allah to do me no harm, and on my

  side I will promise not to injure you."

  "Accursed genie!" replied Maimoune, "what harm can you do me?

  But I will grant your power and give the promise you ask. And now

  tell me what you have seen and done to-night."

  "Fair lady," said Danhasch, "you meet me at the right moment to hear

  something really interesting. I must tell you that I come from the

  furthest end of China, which is one of the largest and most powerful

  kingdoms in the world. The present king has one only daughter, who is

  so perfectly lovely that neither you, nor I, nor any other creature

  could find adequate terms in which to describe her marvellous charms.

  You must therefore picture to yourself the most perfect features,

  joined to a brilliant and delicate complexion, and an enchanting

  expression, and even then imagination will fall short of the reality."

  "The king, her father, has carefully shielded this treasure from

  the vulgar gaze, and has taken every precaution to keep her from

  the sight of everyone except the happy mortal he may choose to be

  her husband. But in order to give her variety in her confinement he


  has built her seven palaces such as have never been seen before.

  The first palace is entirely composed of rock crystal, the second

  of bronze, the third of fine steel, the fourth of another and more

  precious species of bronze, the fifth of touchstone, the sixth

  of silver, and the seventh of solid gold. They are all most

  sumptuously furnished, whilst the gardens surrounding them are

  laid out with exquisite taste. In fact, neither trouble nor cost

  has been spared to make this retreat agreeable to the princess.

  The report of her wonderful beauty has spread far and wide, and many

  powerful kings have sent embassies to ask her hand in marriage.

  The king has always received these embassies graciously, but says

  that he will never oblige the princess to marry against her will,

  and as she regularly declines each fresh proposal, the envoys have

  had to leave as disappointed in the result of their missions as they

  were gratified by their magnificent receptions.

  "Sire," said the princess to her father, "you wish me to marry,

  and I know you desire to please me, for which I am very grateful.

  But, indeed, I have no inclination to change my state,

  for where could I find so happy a life amidst so many beautiful

  and delightful surroundings? I feel that I could never be as happy

  with any husband as I am here, and I beg you not to press one on me."

  "At last an embassy came from a king so rich and powerful that the

  King of China felt constrained to urge this suit on his daughter.

  He told her how important such an alliance would be, and pressed

  her to consent. In fact, he pressed her so persistingly that the

  princess at length lost her temper and quite forgot the respect due

  to her father. "Sire," cried she angrily, "do not speak further

  of this or any other marriage or I will plunge this dagger in my

  breast and so escape from all these importunities."

  "The king of China was extremely indignant with his daughter and replied:

  "You have lost your senses and you must be treated accordingly."

  So he had her shut in one set of rooms in one of her palaces,

  and only allowed her ten old women, of whom her nurse was the head,

  to wait on her and keep her company. He next sent letters to all

  the kings who had sued for the princess's hand, begging they would

  think of her no longer, as she was quite insane, and he desired

  his various envoys to make it known that anyone who could cure her

  should have her to wife.

  "Fair Maimoune," continued Danhasch, "this is the present state

  of affairs. I never pass a day without going to gaze on this

  incomparable beauty, and I am sure that if you would only

  accompany me you would think the sight well worth the trouble,

  and own that you never saw such loveliness before."

  The fairy only answered with a peal of laughter, and when at length

  she had control of her voice she cried, "Oh, come, you are making

  game of me! I thought you had something really interesting to tell

  me instead of raving about some unknown damsel. What would you say

  if you could see the prince I have just been looking at and whose

  beauty is really transcendent? That is something worth talking about,

  you would certainly quite lose your head."

  "Charming Maimoune," asked Danhasch, "may I inquire who and what

  is the prince of whom you speak?"

  "Know," replied Maimoune, "that he is in much the same case as

  your princess. The king, his father, wanted to force him to marry,

  and on the prince's refusal to obey he has been imprisoned in an old

  tower where I have just seen him."

  "I don't like to contradict a lady," said Danhasch, "but you must

  really permit me to doubt any mortal being as beautiful as my princess."

  "Hold your tongue," cried Maimoune. "I repeat that is impossible."

  "Well, I don't wish to seem obstinate," replied Danhasch, "the best

  plan to test the truth of what I say will be for you to let me

  take you to see the princess for yourself."

  "There is no need for that," retorted Maimoune; "we can satisfy

  ourselves in another way. Bring your princess here and lay

  her down beside my prince. We can then compare them at leisure,

  and decide which is in the right."

  Danhasch readily consented, and after having the tower where the prince

  was confined pointed out to him, and making a wager with Maimoune as to

  the result of the comparison, he flew off to China to fetch the princess.

  In an incredibly short time Danhasch returned, bearing the

  sleeping princess. Maimoune led him to the prince's room,

  and the rival beauty was placed beside him.

  When the prince and princess lay thus side by side, an animated

  dispute as to their respective charms arose between the fairy

  and the genius. Danhasch began by saying:

  "Now you see that my princess is more beautiful than your prince.

  Can you doubt any longer?"

  "Doubt! Of course I do!" exclaimed Maimoune. "Why, you must

  be blind not to see how much my prince excels your princess.

  I do not deny that your princess is very handsome, but only look

  and you must own that I am in the right."

  "There is no need for me to look longer," said Danhasch, "my first

  impression will remain the same; but of course, charming Maimoune,

  I am ready to yield to you if you insist on it."

  "By no means," replied Maimoune. "I have no idea of being under

  any obligation to an accursed genius like you. I refer the matter

  to an umpire, and shall expect you to submit to his verdict."

  Danhasch readily agreed, and on Maimoune striking the floor with her

  foot it opened, and a hideous, hump-backed, lame, squinting genius,

  with six horns on his head, hands like claws, emerged. As soon as he

  beheld Maimoune he threw himself at her feet and asked her commands.

  "Rise, Caschcasch," said she. "I summoned you to judge between me

  and Danhasch. Glance at that couch, and say without any partiality

  whether you think the youth or the maiden lying there the more beautiful."

  Caschcasch looked at the prince and princess with every token

  of surprise and admiration. At length, having gazed long without

  being able to come to a decision, he said

  "Madam, I must confess that I should deceive you were I to declare

  one to be handsomer than the other. There seems to me only one

  way in which to decide the matter, and that is to wake one after

  the other and judge which of them expresses the greater admiration

  for the other."

  This advice pleased Maimoune and Danhasch, and the fairy at once

  transformed herself into the shape of a gnat and settling on

  Camaralzaman's throat stung him so sharply that he awoke. As he did

  so his eyes fell on the Princess of China. Surprised at finding

  a lady so near him, he raised himself on one arm to look at her.

  The youth and beauty of the princess at once awoke a feeling to which his

  heart had as yet been a stranger, and he could not restrain his delight.

  "What loveliness! What charms! Oh, my heart, my soul!" he exclaimed,

  as he kissed her forehead, her eyes and mouth in a way which would

 
certainly have roused her had not the genie's enchantments kept

  her asleep.

  "How, fair lady!" he cried, "you do not wake at the signs of

  Camaralzaman's love? Be you who you may, he is not unworthy of you."

  It then suddenly occurred to him, that perhaps this was the bride

  his father had destined for him, and that the King had probably

  had her placed in this room in order to see how far Camaralzaman's

  aversion to marriage would withstand her charms.

  "At all events," he thought, "I will take this ring as a remembrance

  of her."

  So saying he drew off a fine ring which the princess wore on

  her finger, and replaced it by one of his own. After which he

  lay down again and was soon fast asleep.

  Then Danhasch, in his turn, took the form of a gnat and bit

  the princess on her lip.

  She started up, and was not a little amazed at seeing a young man

  beside her. From surprise she soon passed to admiration, and then

  to delight on perceiving how handsome and fascinating he was.

  "Why," cried she, "was it you my father wished me to marry?

  How unlucky that I did not know sooner! I should not have made

  him so angry. But wake up! wake up! for I know I shall love you

  with all my heart."

  So saying she shook Camaralzaman so violently that nothing

  but the spells of Maimoune could have prevented his waking.

  "Oh!" cried the princess. "Why are you so drowsy?" So saying she

  took his hand and noticed her own ring on his finger, which made her

  wonder still more. But as he still remained in a profound slumber

  she pressed a kiss on his cheek and soon fell fast asleep too.